Level: Basic
TCM Section(s):
11.2. People and Performance Management
Venue: 2023 AACE International Conference & Expo
Abstract: Entry into a professional career in project controls can vary. Contractors, consultants, and owners all have different expectations for project controls. Mega-program as opposed to small projects can also create different requirements for project controls professionals, with mega programs and projects creating finite, boxed-in responsibilities with limited exposure to the big picture, whereas small projects may cause individuals to wear ‘many hats’ and be involved in everything. As a result of many ‘mega-program’ style opportunities in the aviation industry, many owner-representative project controls professionals only have exposure in one discipline of project controls and specialize in that one. This style of project controls is not a practical application for low budget, highly versatile opportunities in project controls, and aviation owners are resistant to spending for highly technical professionals when they need a ‘jack of all trades’ who can manage day-to-day issues and recommend when to bring in experts.
To respond to aviation owner organizations’ need for high versatility requirements for project controls, it is important to develop a ‘well-rounded’ project controls professional with experience and understanding of all disciplines of the trade. This paper will discuss the issues with discipline-specific professionals, and outline benefits of a versatile project controls professional and training requirement to be successful.
While this paper is specific to challenges faced by owners in the aviation industry, there may be parallels to challenges faced in other industries and the approach described may be beneficial in those industries as well.
TCM Section(s):
11.2. People and Performance Management
Venue: 2023 AACE International Conference & Expo
Abstract: Entry into a professional career in project controls can vary. Contractors, consultants, and owners all have different expectations for project controls. Mega-program as opposed to small projects can also create different requirements for project controls professionals, with mega programs and projects creating finite, boxed-in responsibilities with limited exposure to the big picture, whereas small projects may cause individuals to wear ‘many hats’ and be involved in everything. As a result of many ‘mega-program’ style opportunities in the aviation industry, many owner-representative project controls professionals only have exposure in one discipline of project controls and specialize in that one. This style of project controls is not a practical application for low budget, highly versatile opportunities in project controls, and aviation owners are resistant to spending for highly technical professionals when they need a ‘jack of all trades’ who can manage day-to-day issues and recommend when to bring in experts.
To respond to aviation owner organizations’ need for high versatility requirements for project controls, it is important to develop a ‘well-rounded’ project controls professional with experience and understanding of all disciplines of the trade. This paper will discuss the issues with discipline-specific professionals, and outline benefits of a versatile project controls professional and training requirement to be successful.
While this paper is specific to challenges faced by owners in the aviation industry, there may be parallels to challenges faced in other industries and the approach described may be beneficial in those industries as well.